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In the sport of pickleball, a body shot is a shot where the pickleball is aimed directly at an opponent\u2019s body. It is typically a fast, low shot that is directed towards the midsection (i.e., hips, chest, or shoulders\u2014like the \u201cchicken wing\u201d area). Although you may hit your opponent with the pickleball, body shots can be an effective shot and strategy on the pickleball court because they can be difficult to react to and can put your opponent in an uncomfortable and awkward position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that said, what if a body shot is used against you? No player likes to get hit with the pickleball\u2014in other words, getting \u201ctagged\u201d or \u201cbody bagged\u201d as some players will call it\u2014as it can be a blow physically and to your ego. So, how can you best neutralize your opponents\u2019 body shots and avoid getting \u201ctagged\u201d or \u201cbody bagged\u201d on the pickleball court?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some pickleball tips to help you avoid getting \u201ctagged\u201d or \u201cbody bagged\u201d on the court:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Stay Alert and Read Your Opponent: Pay attention to the pickleball and your opponent’s paddle. Look for clues as to which shot your opponent will hit\u2014for instance, does your opponent take a big backswing when he\/she speeds up the pickleball? Stay focused and zoned in to maximize your reaction time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Keep Your Pickleball Paddle Up: Keep your paddle up and ready\u2014instead of down below your waist. Stay ready to cover shots to both sides of your body by keeping your paddle face at 10 or 11 o\u2019clock if you imagine that you are standing on a clock face (or 2 or 1 o\u2019clock position if you are a lefty). This semi-backhand-ready position will help cut down on your reaction time so that you can better defend against a body shot on the pickleball court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Move Your Feet: Anticipate where the pickleball is going and move your feet\u2014or at a minimum, sway your body\u2014to best react to the body shot. If the balls are coming fast, remember to step out of the way if you think the ball is out. \u201cShoulder high, let it fly\u201d. Moving your feet and body away from high balls, and not touching out balls will make your opponent slow his balls down and less likely you will get hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Hit Unattackable Shots: The best way to avoid a body shot is to keep your own shots low (below the pickleball net or red zone balls) and unattackable. Make your opponents have to hit up on the pickleball. By doing this, you will generally prevent your opponents from hitting a body shot in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Communicate with Your Partner: If you unintentionally hit an attackable shot for your opponents to go on the offensive, communicate with your partner (e.g., \u201cWatch it!\u201d) to give them any extra heads up and ask them to do the same for you. If it is a friendly game, you may also do this for your opponent when you swing at the ball. Having good manners goes a long way in this family friendly game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Consider Taking a Step Back: If you are struggling with defending against the body shots, it may be a good idea to take a step back off of the Non-Volley Zone line in order to buy yourself a fraction more reaction time. If you choose to step back into the transition area, be sure that you are not moving when your opponents are hitting the pickleball. Remember, moving while hitting will likely result in more unforced errors. So, only take advantage of this step back when you have time. And, if you choose to step back into \u201cNo Man\u2019s Land,\u201d or the \u201ctransition zone\u201d be sure to immediately step back up to the Kitchen line, as your chances of winning the rally increase when you are close to the Kitchen line!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, if you play enough pickleball you will get \u201ctagged\u201d or \u201cbody bagged\u201d. Although by following these tips and staying alert on the court, you can avoid getting \u201cbody bagged\u201d in pickleball and improve your game overall. Remember why you play the game, most players play for fun and exercise. If you don\u2019t like getting hit by the ball, try not to hit other players especially if you think they can\u2019t react in time to balls that are popped up and can be driven hard. Be safe and have fun out there. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the sport of pickleball, a body shot is a shot where the pickleball is aimed directly at an opponent\u2019s body. It is typically a fast, low shot that is directed towards the midsection (i.e., hips, chest, or shoulders\u2014like the \u201cchicken wing\u201d area). Although you may hit your opponent with the pickleball, body shots can … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14,"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13\/revisions\/14"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickleballpanda.fun\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}